Great Story!

Tangkhul Great Story Teller
14x11 inches, various materials on paper, 2020

The Canto Tangkhul on the web only collection La Voz Humana en la musica, parte 3 (Polifonias) was recorded dy Deben Bhattacharya in 1960 in Manipur, India. Manipur is a far-eastern state in India, and together with Nagaland home to the Tangkhul Naga. Manipur (and Nagaland) are a ways from the ocean yet their folklore and symbols are rife with maritime reference. The people came from Bhutan (many still live in Myanmar) and trace their origin back to China. While the Tangkhul are predominantly Christian, I was surprised to learn that they were once headhunters. Most Tangkhul today (I assume) won't have any association with their—not even that distant—past but I suspect that the "Great Story Teller" depicted above has quite the scoop on this matter. The story teller probably died a long time ago (I have no idea when the photograph I used was taken but given it's in black and white I assume at least fifty years ago) and in recent photographs the Tangkhul proudly show off their traditional costumes perhaps without the true context. Apart from a chest decoration the Story Teller has no costume at all. He holds a gourd in his hand that I believe is a musical instrument. It may very well be an instrument like that heard in the recording by Bhattacharya, which produces a melodic drone to accompany the mixed chorus singing the same melody. It's remarkable just melodious the song is. The background shows skulls of catttle and horses mounted to the side of a building, in photographs yet older the cattle skulls are human skulls. Blood sacrifice was important in Kangkhul ritual. The great story of the title not only references the Great Story Teller depicted but also the fact that no one has died of COVID-19 in either Manipur or Nagaland.